Fearless

Rating:
Summary: Death be not fearful
Review: Once in a very rare while, I walk out of a movie theater feeling as if I've been in outer space for a billion light years. Things still look the same, but they don't feel the same because I've changed radically. I feel ALIVE! This is a story about a crossing over from life to living. Which is also to say that it is a story about amazing grace (or one can say an amazing story about grace - take your pick). One truly realizes how much one is alive when one faces death. Not the "there but for the grace of God go I" feeling we get as we pass a poor soul who is killed in a traffic accident on the freeway. It's the feeling one gets when one has to really confront the "this is it, this is my death -- now!" reality that sends icy shivers down the back of your neck. Only two things can happen. You either really do die, or for some inexplicable reason you survive insurmountable odds and go on living. But you have still transcended life because somewhere in that core of terror, you let go of life and all of your fears. And with fear obliterated, so is prejudice. You will gladly reach out and clutch the hand of a total stranger. You've transcended all the pettiness in your life, and even some of the passions. You are vitally connected to everything but simultaneously disconnected, since everyone else is on that other plateau of being alive but not fully living. James Joyce called it an epiphany, and it is a feeling that comes with facing one's mortality head on, taking mind-altering drugs, long-term practice of meditation, great sex, listening to certain pieces of music, eating mocha hazelnut fudge ice-cream, and seeing movies like "Fearless".

You'd think with death being so common in movies, and certainly in our lives, there would be more films about how one faces death in ways in which we can vicariously experience it with the character(s). We all have to face it eventually. I suppose it's 'easier' to watch death from a distance, but it's far more satisfying and therapeutic to live the experience vicariously. Few films can achieve that narrowing of distance between audience and screen. Peter Weir is a master of it (I actually felt as if I had disappeared in "Picnic at Hanging Rock"!), and Jeff Bridges and the deeply underrated Rosie Perez let us fill their shoes by creating honest performances that run the gamut of every human emotion. The score also pierces you and uplifts you. First comes the devastation, then comes the glory.

This is one film that I actually believe that everyone should see because it speaks to everyone of every race, gender, age, class and religion, and it humbles us equally. I would be audacious enough to call it 'death therapy", but I wouldn't want that to sound like the pedantic, 'good-for-you' movies that Hollywood usually puts out. Think of it as "this is your life", only life as a looking glass, not a game show.

I pray that the people who made this film love it as much as I - and apparently most of the other reviewers here - do. If they do love it, hopefully they'll present the film in its original aspect ratio, and with lots of goodies, including commentary by the two leads and Peter Weir (and while they're at it, a quart of mocha hazelnut fudge ice cream).

Rating:
Summary: You want to kill me, but you can't!
Review: Your airplane descends, out of control, and you realize simultaneously that life is fragile and that your fate is not always in your hands. At a time like that, do you look to God for answers - there are no atheists in foxholes or on crashing planes - or do you accept what you cannot change, leave your seat, and do what you can do to console a frightened and lonely boy in a forward row?

Then, miraculously, if that word is appropriate, you survive the crash! Not only survive it: you become a hero for leading other survivors out of the wreckage. Interestingly, a lot of people would say "Thank God I'm alive," rather than curse God for killing those who didn't survive - it is the same God responsible for both, after all, but somehow, if you're God, your PR is bullet-proof.

Max Klein (Jeff Bridges) is the hero in Fearless; he believes, not that he was spared for some divine purpose, but that his survival demonstrates that there _is_ no divine purpose:

"When I was 13 my father died in front of my eyes. You know, we were outside of our apartment. I was throwing this softball up and down. Mom screamed, I missed the ball, turned to look. Dad was dead on the sidewalk. A little blood coming out of his nose, his legs were all twisted under him. Looked like somebody with a big hand just reached out and squeezed the life out of him... Couldn't figure that out. He was a religious guy, hard-working, kind to my mother and my sister... I didn't know why God killed my Daddy. There was no reason to. So, I decided there was no God...

"People don't so much believe in God as they choose not to believe in nothing. Life and death - they happen for no reason. We think that people are born because their mothers wanted them a lot or because God needed another home-run hitter for the Giants. They think that we die because we eat red meat or rob banks. That way, even though we can never be good enough or careful enough to live forever, at least we can try. But if it makes no sense, if life and death just happen, then we have no reason to do anything."

Max concludes (talking to God) "You want to kill me but you can't!" And he offers consolation to another survivor, Carla Rodrigo (Rosie Perez), who lost the baby she was holding in her arms as the plane hit the ground. Even so, she never lets go of her faith: "You know, He hurt me. He hurt me forever. But I still believe in Him." It isn't often that atheists and believers get a fair shake - in the same movie. But Fearless is fearless in that respect. The protagonist walks away from his near-death experience in a daze. "Why didn't you call and say you were alive?" demands his wife (Isabella Rossellini). "I thought I was dead," replies Max.

As with his wife, the people around Max want him to become the "victim" he is supposed to be: his lawyer (Tom Hulce), his shrink (John Turturro) and the wife (Deirdre O'Connell) of the best friend who was sitting next to him on the doomed plane (John de Lancie). Max spends so much time with Carla (Perez) that his wife thinks he's having an affair. Instead, Max demonstrates vividly to Carla that there was nothing she could have done to save her baby (which puts them both in the hospital):

Carla (nervously): This is a German car?
Max: Swedish.
Carla: It's very sturdy?
Max: It's a very safe car. Very safe and I'm an excellent driver. Never been in an accident - not while I've been behind the wheel, anyway. You know what? Doesn't mean we're gonna survive this ride. Because even if I do everything right, even strapped into this marvelous technology of the reinforced doors and roof, we could still be crushed. In fact, you're not safe lying in your bed.

The last time I saw a film in which the hero(ine) was an obvious atheist was Chocolat (2000). I hope I don't have to wait seven years for another!

[Text refers to VHS version]

Rating:
Summary: Extremely Good but DVD is full screen
Review: I am writing this review to tell all buyers of this DVD that it is not in its original format. I do not know why the studio decided to release this masterful film on DVD and not have it widescreen as it was intended. This is not some stupid childrens movie where a pan and scan would not matter but a mature film that movie lovers enjoy. I would buy it if you really want the movie but I think the studio should get a clue and release another version with its original widescreen format. Besides this fatal flaw in the DVD release this film is one of my favorites and one of the best films of the 90's.

Rating:
Summary: Quite possibly the worst movie ever
Review: This movie is filled with long dramatic pauses that are meant to allow the viewer time to truly absorb all of the deep nuance and emotion that is this director's genius. But there is no deep meaning here. Nothing new is revealed about the human condition, and I felt little emotion other than mounting frustration, because nothing about these one-dimensional characters made me care for them at all. Perhaps if they had given us a glimpse of the characters' life before the accident, then the viewer would have had some idea who these people are and why they are worth caring about.

Jeff Bridges gives a believable performance, and he had me completely convinced for the length of two hours that he was under the influence of some sort of mild sedative. If you really want to see Isabella Rosallini, go see "Immortal Beloved" instead, because that movie is enjoyable sap, while this one is just sap, and she plays like pure cardboard in this movie. Her lines express her frustration with her husband's transformation, but she recites these lines as believably as a kid in a high school play.

Two words: painfully slow. The movie quickly becomes a masterwork of suspense as the viewer is left to wonder, "When is something interesting going to happen?" "Why would a fearless person be afraid to lie?" "Why the heck is he kissing that woman? "Why does a Mexican character have a Puerto Rican accent?" "When is this all going to come together and make sense?"

There are so many better directions that they could have gone with the idea of a truly fearless person. It's an inappropriate comparison, I know, but go see "Office Space". It does a more believable job exploring what it means to be fearless in the face of the modern human experience, and it will even leave you feeling good afterwards. But hey, if you are fearless when it comes to pain, it's your time and money. Have at it.

Rating:
Summary: A Transcendent Character Study
Review: The inability to "reconnect" in the wake of a significant emotional event, especially one involving a close encounter with death, is examined by director Peter Weir, in "Fearless," a gripping drama starring Jeff Bridges as a man emotionally adrift after walking away from an accident (a plane crash) that by all rights should have killed him, but inexplicably did not. And Weir goes on to take what is essentially a character study one step further, beyond the inevitable "why me?" that one who survives such an unimaginable episode in their life must necessarily make, to probe the psyche of the survivor and attempt to sort out the ensuing catch-22 of the mind, wherein the incident has manifested a schizophrenic sense of guilt/euphoria born of fate's decree that he, among those now dead, should live. It's a lot to assimilate; a taxing physical and psychological challenge necessitating an expanded utilization of the human capacity, and the subsequent negotiation of the attendant recast attitude and aptitude. All of which Weir succinctly captures through keen observation and his own intuitive grasp of the human condition.

As the film opens, we see Max Klein (Bridges) making his way through a cornfield just outside of Bakersfield, California; he's carrying a baby in his arms and has a young boy by the hand, leading him determinedly through the haze of smoke from the crash. There are others following Max, as well. And even before they emerge from the field, coming upon the crash site where rescue workers are already furiously attempting to sort it all out, there is a detachment about Max that is readily discernible. He surveys the situation calmly, as if seeing it all through the eyes of someone else, as if he were outside of himself, observing rather than experiencing. Then after locating the baby's mother, he simply walks away from it all, never looking back.

Two days later the F.B.I. finds him in a local motel. They put him together with a representative from the airline, who offers him a train ticket back home to San Francisco. But Max wants to fly home, which astounds the rep. "But your wife," she says, "Told us that you didn't like to fly, even before the--" "The crash?" he replies. Then with assurance he tells her, "I want to fly home on your airline. But I have a request; I want to go first class." And we know now, without question, that Max is not the same man that he was before the crash.

In his previous films, such as "Picnic At Hanging Rock" (1975), "Witness" (1985) and "The Mosquito Coast" (1986), Weir established himself as a director who knows human nature and is adept at exploring the emotional depths of his characters, in stories dealing with ordinary people thrust into extraordinary situations. As he does with this film, Weir sets a deliberate pace and allows that extra moment that means so much to the development of the characters. It's a subtle approach that adds depth and resonance to his films, and allows his audience to experience, rather than just watch, the drama as it unfolds. And he understands (as few directors do-- especially Americans ) the impact that "silence" can have, as in the scenes here shortly after Max leaves the crash sight. First, Weir shows us a solemn Max, driving alone through the desert at high speed, gradually awakening to the joys of living, to that "feeling" of being alive, as he sticks his head out of the widow and lets the wind hit him in the face, slapping him with the reality that he is, indeed, alive. But then we see Max parked by the side of the road, sitting on the ground, pensively staring out at the vast expanse of desert and at the low, blue mountains in the distance. The absolute silence Weir effects allows us to share Max's thoughts at that moment, to get inside his head as he picks up a bit of dirt and examines it closely, then as he looks up again at the nothingness/everything that surrounds him. As Max reflects, we reflect with him; and in that precise moment, that necessary connection between Max and the audience is firmly established. It's a quiet, and brilliant, piece of filmmaking.

Through many years and many movies, Jeff Bridges has demonstrated time and again his consummate ability as an actor who can "touch" his audience, and he continues to evolve with every new film. Max is perhaps his most challenging role ever, as it requires a vast emotional range to make this character convincing and bring him to life believably. And Bridges succeeds magnificently, and on a number of levels, with an inspiring, Oscar worthy performance. The finesse with which he conveys his moods and emotions is extraordinary; he enables you to "feel" his displacement, share his compassion, sense his empathy and know his anger. Quite simply, Bridges makes Max Klein a character you are not going to forget.

As Laura Klein, Isabella Rossellini gives a remarkable performance, as well, as the wife given the gift of her husband's life, only to have to suffer his state of "limbo," as she desperately attempts to penetrate the defense mechanisms that have given him a renewed appreciation for the touch, taste and beauty of life, all of which she is unable to share because his experience has taken him to a place she cannot possibly go. Her portrayal is astute, convincing and some of the best work she has ever done.

Also turning in a strong performance, for which she deservedly was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, is Rosie Perez, as Carla, a fellow crash survivor with whom Max forms an especially strong and significant bond.

Written for the screen by Rafael Yglesias (adapted from his own novel), beautifully filmed by Allen Davian, and with a haunting score by Maurice Jarre that so sensitively enhances the drama in an understated way, "Fearless" is an example of filmmaking at it's best.

Rating:
Summary: this movie is about the meaning of life
Review: I don't know much about the technical aspects of film-making so I can't explain what it is about this film that brings a sense of profound joy to my heart every time I watch it. Nothing I have experienced in life matches the sense of spiritual oneness that I get when I see the expressions on the faces of Jeff Bridges and each of the plane's passengers as he reassures them while the plane is going down. And that simply is an expression of what the entire movie conveys in terms of the significance (or lack thereof) of our physical lives. The thin line between genius and insanity is nothing more or less than the realization of what "life" really is and how one deals with it.

Rating:
Summary: one of the best movies of the last 20 years
Review: This film is a beautiful meditation on the existential dilemna. It's amazingly shot and acted, and deeply moving. I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent, excellent film.
Review: The first time I saw this film, I couldn't decide if I loved it or hated it. What I did realize was that for the next three days I couldn't think straight. The next time I saw it, I realized that I loved it.

Tough and frightening; no, not the plane crash, but the emotions running through this film. Casual, subtle, slow, non-manipulative and very, very real.

Jeff Bridges is one of the best actors there is; Weir's direction is amazing. Isabella Rosellini breaks your heart. Oh, and if you have ever heard Rosie Perez's voice on your TV and ran screaming to the bathroom or kitchen .. watch this movie. You will not believe what she can really do.

There should have been many awards handed to Fearless. But time will reveal it to be an underappreciated classic.

Rating:
Summary: Fearless
Review: I haven't seen the movie yet so how can I write a review.

Rating:
Summary: Patience
Review: Having first seen Peter Weir's Fearless in 1993 in a theatre and again seeing the closing scenes on HBO in a hotel in Manila on Tuesday night, I was left again with an enduring sense of calm.
There are invaluable small gestures throught the film - Jeff Bridges' character Max making his way seemingly without effort along the aisleway of the plane to sit next to a boy on his own. The violent swings of the plane fail to distract him from reaching the forward seat, they also don't shake him from talking to passengers on either side of the plane, awaiting their fate, grasping the hands of those next to them. Throughout Gorecki's third symphony reminds us of the beauty of serenity and the enduring of spirit and compassion. There are of course biblical references - watch Isabella Rosselini turning through Max's paintings, darkness giving way to light as she turns what seems at first an endless pit within which she believes Max to be lost.
Time is purposely moved away and back to us, ensuring that our sense of panorama is both visual and challenging - that we too adopt a sense of timeliness but most importantly of all serenity and timeliness.